Nearly all of the forest land is well-stocked with commercial conifer species. Conditions for natural regeneration after Setzer's 1947-1950 logging were very favorable and practically all of the areas left unstocked immediately after logging have since become stocked and support excellent stands of reproduction with ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) predominating. Based on the 2001 CFI, the average basal area for the entire 3493 acres is 112 ft2/Ac.
When the State acquired title to the Forest in 1949, the estimated total timber volume was 6,100,0,00 board feet on 3,433 acres.
No timber was cut on the Forest from the time of acquisition until 1967 when 3,085,000 board feet of old growth was cut. A Forest-wide inventory was completed the same year, which estimated the total gross timber volume after the 1967 cut at 31,465,000 board feet on 3,433 acres, 6 million or more of which was old growth. The acquisition estimate, apparently, considerably underestimated the actual merchantable volume on the Forest. The 2001 Continuous Forest Inventory estimated the gross timber volume as 13,485 board feet per acre on 3,493 acres.
Following a 1976 cruise, the net annual board foot volume growth on the Forest was estimated at 1,101,418 board feet by projection of growth plot. Net annual growth per acre overall was estimated to be 334 bd. Ft/acre.
Based on the 1991, 1996, and 2001 continuous forest inventory cruises, the current forest growth appears to be 333 Board Feet/acre/year. While all figures are preliminary work products and are subject to change in the final version as more information becomes available, these figures are based on actual measurements and not a projection from yield tables.
An access road system based on the original logging road network was established shortly after the Forest was acquired. Starting in 1965, major portions of the original road system were rebuilt to improve grade, alignment, and drainage. Some short sections of new roads were constructed to avoid adverse grade problems. The 22-mile forest road system consists of 12 miles of primary, all-weather roads and 10 miles of secondary seasonal roads. No further additions to the road system are planned. Existing roads will be improved or decommissioned as funds and opportunities arise.
All roads on BMDSF that are no longer required for management and recreational purposes will be considered for abandonment. Roads to be abandoned will include user-generated roads, temporary roads and roads to be permanently closed. User-generated roads are those that vehicles have made by not following a recognized BMDSF road and creating tracks for others to follow. Temporary roads can be defined as roads that are used for one or two years for timber sale activity and then abandoned. They may be reopened and reused in the next timber sale entry. Permanently closed roads are those roads that have no planned future use.
Within the forested areas, ground cover varies from pine needle litter to patches of shrubs typical of central and northern inland California foothill areas. Under the denser stands of timber, the ground is park-like and open with no undergrowth and grades into sparse grass and dense brush in the more open stands.
Areas that were unstocked following logging have since become a thick cover of predominantly ponderosa pine reproduction and/or brush.
The brush patches are composed principally of giant manzanita (Arctostaphylos manzanita), and white leaf manzanita (Arctostaphylos viscida). White leaf manzanita predominates, and occurs, for the most part, in pure stands. Some Ceanothus spp. is also present. Ponderosa pine reproduction has forced its way up through the brush canopy in many of the brush patches.
